Banner ads, search engine optimization, paid search, auction sites, email lists. All of these tactics are just part of a revenue manager’s or online marketer’s arsenal to drive traffic to the site and hopefully increase direct web bookings – the least expensive way to get heads in beds. And while everyone loves to see an increase in site visits, the most important statistic to watch is the conversion rate – the ratio of visitors to completed transactions. What they do on your site is much more important than how they get there. Are your visitors booking or abandoning?
Understanding why users abandon a transaction is the first step to removing the obstacles that can deter them. According to a January 2010 survey of US online travel bookers by PhoCus Wright, while too-high prices were the main driver to booking abandonment, the remainder of complaints revolved around site functionality. In addition, online travel bookers also stated that these factors impacted return visits and ultimately drove them to book on competitors’ sites. (more…)
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Prepare Your Hotel for Google Sidewiki Comments! Tips on What Your Hotel Should Do, and How to Monitor Reviews with RSS Feed
Wednesday, November 25th, 2009It’s been two months since Google introduced Sidewiki on September 23, but it hasn’t really caught fire . . . yet. When it was first announced, there was a lot of buzz on blogs and news sites, and it felt that the internet would be taken over by user-generated comments and opinions, but so far it hasn’t gained that much traction. We believe it will catch on soon, and that your hotel should be prepared for when it does.
What is Google Sidewiki and will it go mainstream?
Sidewiki is part of a Google Toolbar browser plug-in that allows users to open a sidebar on any website they are visiting and comment freely on anything they like; the website, the content, how they feel about the topic or the brand, or what they had for breakfast. These comments can then be seen by other visitors to the site (provided they have downloaded the Sidewiki toolbar) and they can leave comments as well. Users can also add links and videos, and share their comments through E-mail, Twitter or Facebook. (more…)
Tags: block sidewiki, Google Sidewiki, Google Toolbar, hotel internet marketing, how do I download sidewiki, monitor sidewiki comments, O'Rourke Hospitality, Reputation Management, Sidewiki for hotel websites, sidewiki RSS Feed
Posted in Hotel Websites, Internet Marketing, Reputation Management, Travel Review Sites, seo | 1 Comment »